A second London bus burst into flames this morning – completely destroying it less than 24 hours after an electric double decker exploded on the school run.
The hybrid vehicle caught fire in North Woolwich, East London, just before 7am today with onlookers shouting ‘what the f***’ as they were urged to ‘move back’.
A video showed the bus ablaze before dawn at the junction of Factory Road and Store Road, while photographs taken later in daylight showed its burnt-out shell.
Firefighters confirmed no passengers were on the bus and there were no injuries, although it took around an hour to get the blaze under control. Crews set up an 80ft (25m) cordon at the scene and were investigating the cause this afternoon.
The bus involved in today’s blaze was an Alexander Dennis Enviro400 hybrid that runs on diesel and electricity, with around 900 in use across 78 routes in London.
Only yesterday, a huge blast ripped the back off an Optare Metrodecker bus on route 200 in Wimbledon in south west London at 7.20am on its way to Raynes Park.
It came nearly two years after all Metrodeckers were temporarily taken out of service for safety checks in May 2022 when two were involved in a major fire at Potters Bar bus garage in Hertfordshire – before being returned to service only days later.
TODAY: Another London bus caught fire just before 7am in North Woolwich, East London
TODAY: The burnt out shell of the London bus in North Woolwich is pictured this morning
TODAY: The bus was completely destroyed by the blaze this morning in North Woolwich
Today, a London Fire Brigade spokesman told MailOnline: ‘We were called at 6.49am to reports of a bus on fire on Factory Road in North Woolwich.
‘No passengers were on the bus and there have been no reports of any injuries.
‘Firefighters attended and brought the fire under control by 7.55am. One double-decker bus was destroyed by fire.
‘A 25-metre (80ft) cordon is currently in place as a precaution. The cause of the fire is under investigation.’
Tom Cunnington, TfL’s head of buses business development, told MailOnline: ‘We are working with the operator, GoAhead, and the manufacturer, Alexander Dennis, to investigate the cause of this fire.
‘London’s bus network remains safe to use and we have no reason to suspect that this fire on a hybrid bus was linked to an earlier incident on an electric bus in Wimbledon.
‘The bus was out of service when the fire happened and there are no reported injuries. TfL and the bus operators will not hesitate to take action if required to ensure the bus network remains safe.’
And a spokesman for Go-Ahead London told MailOnline: ‘Go-Ahead London is urgently investigating a vehicle fire that took place today at approximately 6.40am on a double-deck diesel-hybrid bus in the Silvertown area.
‘The bus was out of service and therefore carrying no passengers. Our driver safely exited the vehicle and is uninjured.
‘We are grateful to the emergency services for their prompt response and are working with relevant authorities to establish the facts.’
YESTERDAY: An electric double decker burst into flames in Wimbledon, south west London
YESTERDAY: The smoldering bus with a charred back window in Wimbledon yesterday
Hybrid buses, which run on diesel and electricity, are said to produce 40 per cent less carbon dioxide emissions than regular buses.
The first one in London was introduced in 2007 on the 141 route between Palmers Green and London Bridge when Ken Livingstone was Mayor.
Today’s blaze happened near two bus garages run by operator Go-Ahead London – its Silvertown site and another called Henley Road (North Woolwich).
TfL, which has about 1,000 electric buses across its network, said yesterday that it will not withdraw any Metrodeckers from service and has insisted they are safe.
However, the City Hall Conservatives have called on Mayor Sadiq Khan to remove all of them from the capital’s roads until the cause of the Wimbledon fire is known.
More than 80 Metrodeckers operate on eight London routes around the capital – in addition to route 200, the others are routes 23, 28, 134, 295, 317, 626 and N28.
Mr Khan also faced calls to launch a ‘full and urgent investigation’ into the fire in Wimbledon as he ploughs ahead with his stated ambition to make the capital’s entire bus fleet ‘zero-emission’ by 2034.
Yesterday’s blaze was the latest example of safety faults with electric vehicles – the fastest growing cause of fires in the capital last year, according to the London Fire Brigade.
MAY 2022: Two Optare Metrodecker London electric buses were involved in a major fire at Potters Bar bus garage in Hertfordshire on May 22, 2022 – which destroyed six buses
In 2023 there were 150 e-bike fires in London, plus 28 e-scooter fires, which was 53 per cent more than in 2022.
The blaze in Potters Bar on May 22, 2022 saw a total of six buses burn and prompted other bus operators to move vehicles from alternative garages in London to serve the impacted routes after Metrodeckers were pulled by their manufacturer Switch Mobility for checks.
Metrodeckers were also withdrawn from York where they operated a park and ride route run by First after 21 vehicles were ordered in a £9.3million deal in 2020.
But the buses in London and York were all back on the road just days later, when TfL confirmed on June 1 that Switch Mobility had completed its ‘thorough investigation’ and had given assurances that every vehicle was ‘safe to return to service’.
Electric buses have been running in London since 2014 when Boris Johnson was Mayor, and there are about 1,000 now operating across the capital.
TfL is urgently investigating yesterday’s blaze with Switch Mobility and the route operator London General, saying: ‘Safety is our top priority’.
